Chance of a lifetime
by Ceberus Fire 17
Summary: Rikku's still trying to stop Yuna from the final Summoning while traveling to the Calm Lands via airship when she tries to recruit Auron to help. Then the two get thrown off of the airship and have to find their way back to the others! Final Chapter up!
1. The Separation

Chapter 1: The separation

_Summery: The story and chapter begins with everyone aboard the airship getting ready to head for the next sleeping Aeon. Rikku is still worried about Yuna continuing her pilgrimage, and Auron just happens to be the closest person to helping her out with the plan….._

"Yunie…." Rikku sighed out her older cousin's name quietly. She sat alone in the cabin room atop one of the few bunk beds that was stored on the ship. Nobody but her and a few children slept on them, but she had her own bunk and didn't have to fight with anyone, other than herself, about which bunk she would have to sleep on every night. But unfortunately, she hadn't slept well in the past few days. Sure, she had saved her cousin from the crazed Maester Seymour, but….

Apparently, it seemed that no one could save Yuna from her self-sacrificing pilgrimage.

Oh, and how Rikku had tried and begged and cried and pleaded with her cousin, but Yuna wouldn't listen, just like she wouldn't listen to everyone's sarcasm and fake enthusiastic remarks about the marriage. She didn't hear the true concerns or the fears of her companions…… Rikku wasn't able to convince Yuna at all that she should abandon the pilgrimage.

And it was really starting to piss her off!

"….There's gotta be a way to save Yunie!" The fifteen year old yelled, pounding her fists into the mattress. She then jumped off the top bunk and rushed out of the room in a blind panic. She was growing anxious and paranoid as the days went by and the constant worrying and thinking about the entire situation wasn't doing her any good. "There's gotta be somebody around here that has an idea about what to do…. There has to--"

In the middle of her wild rant, she suddenly spotted someone who could possibly have the answers she was seeking. He was intelligent and smarter that he really was, _and _he was a great fighter-- In fact he was the strongest man she'd ever known or even heard of! There was only one problem….

It was Auron.

And Auron…. did not like Rikku in the least. The last time they fought together, Auron didn't show any remorse for nearly striking Rikku with his Masamune sword and didn't even bother to spare one of his Remedy potion on her when she took a poison stinger shot to the leg and Wakka and Lulu had to rush to a market place in the Thunder Planes. Worse, she was an Al Behd, and, even though Auron knew of the Yevon treachery more than he let on, the older man still held a hatred for the group of people and Rikku was no exception. Wakka treated her better than Auron did even after he found out she was Al Behd.

The man in the red cloak didn't really notice the girl standing just below him, but he didn't feel like he was alone either. Auron suddenly looked down and saw her. Rikku…. It wasn't that he disliked her, but…. She was just so damn annoying to him, and all she ever did was try and find new ways and new volunteers to help her stop Yuna from dying, from sacrificing herself and another….

And it was really, _really_ annoying to him. And from the way she was looking at him, he was the next target for her campaign. And he really did want to help save Yuna from suffering the same fate as her father, but the girl was going about the thing entirely wrong! And that was what annoyed him so much….

"Hey, Auron!" Rikku called out to him, and he sighed.

"Damn it….." was all he could say

Knowing that it was a slim chance, Rikku decided to take it. She walked up to him carefully, knowing that even moving the wrong way would make the man angry at her. She even remembered to keep herself from staring at his face. (she didn't want him to stare at her eyes, as he always did)

"Hey Auron…. Um…" she didn't know where to begin and Auron was already losing his patience with her.

"….What is it Rikku?" Rikku was never able to talk after Auron spoke. He always carried authority in his voice, and that was something that scared her…. a lot.

"………."

" sigh If you're not going to say anything to me, then why are you here now?…. Try and think about that." Rikku hung her head slightly at his words, and then, without another word, ran to the deck elevator and boarded on. Auron sighed again and decided, just to be a "nice guy," try and apologize to the girl.

…. Even though she annoyed the hell out of him….

Rikku had just gotten to the deck and sat down, clearly saddened by the whole thing. It wasn't just Yuna's pilgrimage that troubled her; It was the fact that only Tidus and a few others who weren't Al Behd that actually liked her. Sure, even the Al Behd had issues with her but they all got along. For some reason, even Yuna seemed distant from Rikku and Cid. She'd expected that her cousin would be more welcoming to her, but Yuna was only as polite to her as she would be a stranger. And it sucked, because Rikku had tried so hard. She'd been trying so very hard to get along with everyone, especially--

"Rikku." The girl jumped to her feet quickly when she heard Auron's voice and turned around to see him standing behind her. He walked over to her until there was only a few feet that separated them, and then…..silence. He'd never really had to apologize for his actions before….especially a girl who did nothing but search for ways to selflessly save her doomed family member. If only Braska were still alive…..

"Is there something you wanted?" Rikku asked so innocently and Auron managed to suppress a growl. But before the man could answer, the airship started to rock and lose altitude, slowly turning starboard from some unknown force. "What's happening!" The Al Behd screamed just before she lost balance and fell in the direction of the ship's tilting. Auron was just barely keeping his balance when he automatically lunged for Rikku, snatching her wrist from the air and trying to pull her and his own self from falling from the ship. He shoved his sword deep into the ship's metal, hoping that it would hold them, but for some reason, the sword was actually coming out of the ship.

"What the hell!"

"Uh, Auron?…." Auron looked down at Rikku and saw what she was staring at: The land. The airship was upside-down and it wasn't turning anymore. Rikku let out a sharp scream and wrapped herself around Auron, and the man decided. He placed one foot on the already damaged ship ( no thanks to him ) and ripped the sword from the airship, and he and the Al Behd fell to the ground far below…..

…_.Auron?…._

…_.Hey, Auron…. Wake up…._

…………

"AURON!" Rikku's voice shrilled as she shouted at the man. Auron's eyes opened in a flash and he sat up in a mechanical motion. Around him was nothing but trees and grass. They must've fallen into some sort of forest they were traveling over while the airship was turning. It was already close to midnight and the stars were shinning brighter than what you could ever see in Macalania Woods. He then turned his head to look behind him and saw Rikku. She had been crying and apparently letting Auron lay his head on her lap as he rested. He could taste some of the tears on his lips.

"I…. I thought you were dead." she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes before Auron could make a comment about it and stood up. "Anyway, we should get going, shouldn't we?" Auron slowly got to his feet and noticed that his sword was missing from the fact that he felt lighter than usual, but he didn't take his eyes off of Rikku. "The others must be looking for us and I know that Yuna will be really worried….. What? Is there something on my face or something?" Auron shook his head.

"No, Rikku. Have you seen my weapon?"

"I…. think you dropped it just before we fell into the forest, but then again, I was knocked out too. I'm sorry…." Rikku felt really bad for what happened. In a way, it was her fault. If she hadn't tried to talk to Auron in the first place, he might not have come out to try and find out what she wanted. That's what she thought anyway. And now, her psychotic, no-good father would be throttling Brother and anyone else who got in the way!…. _Well, maybe getting Brother in trouble would be kinda funny, hee hee hee…. _she thought.

It was then that she noticed Auron sitting back down and taking a swig of whatever he kept in that huge jug. He adjusted his glasses and groaned a bit as he leaned back against one of the tall trees that towered over the two. Rikku just stood there, staring at him. "Auron?… Don't you want to look for the others?"

"Don't worry about them…. They will find us soon enough. We'll rest here and then take leave to the Calm Lands as we originally decided. If we do not meet with them before then, we will meet with them there." Auron said without compassion. Even his kindest of words seemed like a dreaded threat. After a few seconds, Rikku sighed in a very familiar fashion and sat back down on the ground right next to Auron. It was cold and she thought that the man would move anyway, or at least growl at her to leave him alone. All she wanted was to stay warm for a few minutes and then he could leave her side. That's all it would take and she would be happy.

"Hey, Auron…..?" The man growled softly just before answering.

"_What, _Rikku?"

"…..I -I was going to ask you if you would help me with Yunie, but….." She couldn't finish, knowing that the man heard the same pleas over and over again already. "….Nevermind. Good night Auron."

"….Good night Rikku." Auron spoke quietly to this, and closed his eyes to sleep.

Morning seemed to come quickly. and Auron was already awake and was waiting for Rikku to wake up. But there was something different about the man that he wasn't particularly happy with, something kind that he did for the girl and wasn't very sorry for doing it. He was actually quite proud that he did such a kind gesture and was enjoying his good deed up until Rikku began to stir, and the slight happiness that had begun to surface within the man sunk deep beneath his dark and ill-tempered soul, and he growled quietly while turning his back to her.

Rikku opened one eye, and then the other, and closed them both. A few minutes later, she opened both eyes and yawned loudly. When she tried to stretch her slender arms out, however, she found that her limbs were constricted by a thick, red coat with black leather trimming. She looked over at Auron and realized that it was his old coat….. and she didn't know what to think at all. She maneuvered the coat to where she could easily slip it on, then walked over to the man in a dazed manner.

"Thank you, Auron." She removed the coat and held it out to the man. Auron snatched it away, which didn't bother her much. She was used to it from him, after all. He quickly wrapped his pail body in the heavy cloth, his back still turned to her.

"…You're welcome. Now, we must get going to our destination." Auron began to walk ahead, but Rikku ran into his path, stopping him in his tracks.

"Wait!" Auron released a heavy growl, then asked,

"What is it now Rikku? We must hurry."

"We have to find some breakfast, and your sword!" the man simply stared at Rikku, not saying anything. Suddenly, Rikku found a pulse of courage within herself and dared to challenge the man's position. "Look, if we run into something really dangerous, do you know who will be the one who has to fight them off? Me! That's right, me! Do you really want to risk your life by putting it into my hands?….." Auron thought about this only momentarily, and then bowed slightly to Rikku and extending his arms to his sides.

"Then lead the way, Miss Rikku…."

"Hm! That's the nicest thing you ever said to me Auron. There may be some hope for you yet…" The girl laughed as she and the man began to tread back to where the weapon (and possibly, food) would be found.

_To be continued….._


	2. Confide unto thee

Chapter 2: Confide unto thee…

_Summery: As the two guardians begin searching for Auron's sword (and some food), Rikku begins to lament on the fact that she even became Yuna's guardian. Auron has to find some way of helping Rikku getting her confidence back about becoming a guardian._

Rikku and Auron had walked only for an hour or so, and they were now beginning their search for Auron's sword and something to eat. They were near a small stream with high rock ledges. Rikku had been leading the way back to the area the whole time, mainly because she was a great navigator, and now it was Auron's turn to decide where to look for the Masamune.

"Rikku, I will search on the ledges and you may search near the stream. I don't want you getting hurt here, understand?" Rikku expressed her annoyance with a twisted grimace and then ran about three or four feet up the ledge. She was sick of everyone treating her like a little kid, or even something that was worthless!

"I don't think so! _I'll_ search on the ledge and _you_ can go search in the stream!" She smiled happily, her hands on hips, as she watched Auron's stared shift into a dark scowl. The man wasn't angry, but worried.

"Rikku, I'm warning you only once: If anything happens, I'm not helping you."

"Hmph! I can take care of myself, thank you very much!" And the girl jumped up to another portion of the ledge. Auron could only sigh and looked for his sword somewhere just further down the stream. There was no signs of the weapon landing anywhere near his vicinity, but Rikku was having better luck. She had gotten to the top of the ledge, where she saw the sword. It's blade was struck deep into the ground and the hilt was aimed outward in a sharp angle. The girl became excited when she found the weapon, happy to know that she'd beaten the great legendary guardian Auron at the search to find his weapon.

She stood up from the edge and walked over to take the sword. "Wow, this was so easy! I can't believe that Auron was worried that I'd have some problems getting this--" before she could finish, a giant behemoth came charging out of the wooded patch and just missed goring Rikku and instead knocked her away and into a tree. She'd luckily managed to turn her back to the tree and avoided any worse injury. She stood up and ready for a fight. "You jerk! You're gonna pay! Oh! Auron--!" She stopped herself from calling the man and turned back to the sword. _If I call Auron, he won't have a weapon to use to fight the Behemoth, and I promised that I wouldn't call for him! No…. I'll beat this thing all on my own, and then maybe I'll have everyone's respect! _"Man, what is this? A damn videogame!"

Rikku rolled out of the way of the large tail that tried to take her head off, then charged the beast. "Let's see what you got!" She somehow managed to steal an S bomb and two grenades from the Behemoth just before it's huge claw came slam down of the ground and nearly crushing her left leg. Two large, deep claw marks on her thigh down to her lower leg. Rikku limped behind a tree and began to search through her items to see what she could work with. "Okay, okay! I have….. Three S bombs and four M bombs, and only two grenades? What happened to all those grenades I stole from those Guado soldiers! Oh, wait--Oh, NO! Tidus used most of them when we were escaping from Bevelle with Yunie and Auron…. Nobody ever cares to ask me for anything! AHHH!" Rikku screamed as the Behemoth chomped through the tree and nearly caught her head with it's teeth.

Not far from there, Auron was still search for his sword downstream when he heard the Rikku's faint screaming. "What was that?…." He wasn't sure at first, but when he heard the scream again, a strange, unfamiliar and dreadful taste of fear struck him and his body instinctively went for the screaming. "Rikku!"

Rikku now lay half conscious on the ground, down from an HP count of **2500 **to a mere **3**, trying to sit up and fight, but the Behemoth was simply playing a game with her, as if it were the cat and she was the small, timid mouse. She finally got to her feet again as the beast approached her slowly and readying for it's Coup de Grace. Rikku took out all of her bombs and mixed all of them together, hoping that something strong would come out of the explosive substance. _Wait!…. If I mix them into a 3:8:2 ratio….._ Rikku poured all of the powder into a small bottle and stood on her feet, shaking slightly from pain and fatigue. "Okay…. Here it goes! I just hope--" The Behemoth roar thundered and just as it's dark yellow fangs came to bear down on the teen, Rikku threw the massive explosive into the monster's throat and leaped out of the way. The results were terrible- the mustard bomb spread throughout the Behemoth's body, creating a pulsating red flash within every fiber of it's being, and then the consuming heat of the bomb boiled the blood of the monster before it could react.

The Behemoth took two steps backwards and collapsed of the ground, dead. Rikku looked over at Auron's weapon and smiled. _Look's like I can take care of myself just fine Auron…._ She took the sword up from the ground and then went' back toward the ledge. Then the Behemoth's head exploded and the muscle and brain tissue and blood splattered all over the girl….

As she neared the edge, she could see Auron running to confront her, but he soon stopped when he saw the girl's injuries. Rikku wave at him with the sword in hand happily, but a bit light-headed.

"Auron!" She yelled, but her voice was fading as she began to waiver, and her body, and consciousness, soon began to fail in strength. "Look, I found….._your sword for you…..Auron…._" And she fell from the ledge.

"Rikku!" Auron rushed to the ledge and then jumped as high as he could and held his breath as he reached out his arms to her….. She was actually a bit heavier than what he expected, as he found when he caught her in his arms, and nearly lost his balance when he landed back on his feet. He could see the extent of the attack and knew that she could be in real danger, and then he saw his sword, clutched tightly in the girl's left hand…..

"…..Hmph, so you actually found it?….."

It was late in the afternoon when Rikku woke up again, her wounds were bandaged and treated with some kind of plant's aloe. She stared over her dressings and then saw the man she had so deeply and passionately fought for. Auron. He was making something that must've tasted as good as it smelled. Rikku had no idea that the man's gigantic flask had a built-in frying pan hidden on the bottom, but then again, she'd never thought that anyone would try to hide a frying pan in a flask. The sword was struck into the ground as before, but now it rested by his side, safe from anyone who would try and take from him again. Rikku tried not to make a noise as she laid there, but when she tried to sit up, she couldn't help but moan slightly from pain.

Auron's head seemed to twitched in the direction of Rikku, but he growled instead of actually looking at her.

"You could've gotten hurt badly. Why didn't you call me when you encountered that monster, Rikku? Did you have something to prove? Or were you just mad that I seemed cocky to you?" Rikku didn't answer, but hung her head. Auron stood up from the food and went to Rikku, kneeling down next to her and grimacing. "Were you even thinking when you got in that fight?" Auron's voice had continued to rise, but the girl's spirit wasn't shot yet.

"Well, how would you know what or how I feel! You don't even like me!"

"When you stop acting like a child, then maybe I'll start liking you more!"

"You're nothing but a meany! All you every care about is yourself!"

"Why don't you stop living in such a delusional world, thinking that everyone you'll meet is going to be your friend! That's the reason why you're not strong enough to fight anything now!"

"YOU THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT!"

Silence was brought by the girl's scream and her eyes locked with his. "You really think that it's easy, listening to everyone talk about me behind my back…..? I've never had this problem with the Al Behd. We've always thought of ourselves as a family, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and friends…. But, with the others….. None of them care that I've been trying to save Yunie and the others summoners at all. They all think that it's a game, or that Yevon is something that can't be stopped and the pilgrimage has to continue no matter what! It's not fair that I'm the only one who believes there's a way to prevent Yunie from dying. Not even you believe in me, do you?…."

Auron remained silent. He wasn't really paying attention to a word she was saying, and Rikku continued. She kept talking for what seemed as an eternity to the man. He was used to pretending to listening to when others talk ( He'd gotten plenty of practice with Tidus ) and this was no different…. Until he heard something different; He began to loosen his ears, allowing a variety of words to come to attention, until he heard several names: Tidus, Yunie (or Yuna ), Wakka, even Lulu! He allowed his mind to slip back into focus and he began to listen to every word that Rikku was telling him, and it brought a nostalgic feeling into his chest.

"How can you ever understand what it's like to be the one person no one ever depends on! Everyone in the group treats me like I'm some kind of clown, like I don't know what I'm doing at all! And they don't even realize that I'm the one who knows more about anything than they do! Nobody believes that there's a way to keep Yunie safe, to save her from that stupid, fucking final summoning!…. But when Tidus started coming around, everyone started following him, they started saying that he could help save Yunie, completely forgetting that the Al Behd were the ones who knew that there was always a way to save the summoners, that they knew that Yevon was nothing but dirty snakes! They never cared that I was trying to save my cousin, because I'm Al Behd…. They don't care because I'm the youngest, and I'm immature…. That's why you hate me too, but you're honest about it Auron…. That's what's great about you, you're honest…"

"……………….." He continued to listen.

"Sometimes….. I wonder if I should've agreed to become Yunie's guardian in the first place….. I wonder if I was right to take this job on, you know? All I ever wanted was to protect Yunie….. And now, all I can do is follow Yunie until the end….. She won't listen to anyone but herself! Do you know what it's like? Having the person you consider your very best friend to go on a journey to get themselves killed and then having to watch them go through all of that? It's….heartbreaking….."

Rikku broke into a sob, and Auron found himself at a loss for words. He never had to deal with a woman who had actually gone through what he had felt, who knew just what had come to his heart. Since the death of Braska and the loss of his second friend, Jecht, there was no one who could try and understand just what thoughts had gone through his mind when he went to save his friends from death and an eternity of suffering……

And now, there was Rikku….. For some odd reason, maybe from the anxiety and fear, something had taken it's toll of the man's heart and he felt a heavy burden of guilt and shame enter in.

"Rikku….. I'm sorry, but you have to understand….. Being a guardian to your summoner is to give your heart and soul to protect and serve them until the very end."

"But I don't want it to be the end for Yunie! I want her to live and you…. You just don't understand, Auron…. Even if she doesn't appreciate me."

"Remember, Rikku, I lost not one, but two of my best friends. It wasn't the best thing, but now…. I wish to save at least Yuna. If I can not save her, then the duty that I have assigned myself, the duty to protect Braska's daughter and her guardians, is meaningless to, not only myself, but everyone I have sworn to protect. Rikku….. Do you truly believe that sacrifice is about saving everyone else around you at your expense? That is the definition of a hero. A hero gives their life, without thinking, to people who don't know them, and will never truly appreciate or respect them. You are not a hero Rikku. You are simply someone who wishes to save the summoner who wants to be that hero. You're not meant to die for such a petty cause."

"Then….. I'm supposed to be a guardian? Then, why do the people who believe in Yevon have such a warped sense of enjoyment whenever Sin is defeated, knowing that they just sentenced an innocent person to their death! God! It's not fair that this should happen, not to anyone--Not to Yunie!" Rikku's head dropped again and she stayed that way, fists tightening until the nails dug into her the palms and blood dripped through the bandages. Auron kindly took each hand and opened them again, then re-bandaged her reopened wounds. Rikku didn't raise her head again, but watched him with her eyes and she was just barely able to see what he was doing, if not feel it.

"….Try and take better care of yourself on our little sub-journey, Rikku….if not for your sake, then mine."

"Hmph! Why? Don't wanna be responsible for somebody else other than yourself!" Auron sighed deeply, but the expression was different than the others he had done time and time again. This held some sign of compassion, of an unknown feeling to everyone and even himself.

"……." Rikku looked up at Auron and found that the man's always angered and alert face now held sadness and something else that she could quite figure out. Then, she realized how close their faces were and gasped. Just as she did, Auron's usual attitude crossed him and he gracefully stood up with a gruff and turned his back to the girl. "I'm going to look for something to eat. Anything in particular you want?" Rikku blinked a few times and then replied,

"….Fish, and some fruit. Maybe some strawberries or raspberries--" Auron growled and Rikku paused quickly. "….Or, you could just bring back what you can find?" For the first time she had known the man, Auron had never shown any signs or actions of a real human. In fact, if it wasn't for his brashness and his eagerness to drink whenever he had the chance, Rikku could have mistaken him for a machina. But Auron did something so unusual, that it frightened her to near paralysis.

"….Ha, ha, ha, ha…. I will come back with your fish and fruit Rikku. Just be patient…" And he walked away.

_To be continued….._


	3. Closer

Chapter 3: Closer 

_Summery: Auron and Rikku continue with their travels to reunite with the others, and along the way, the two run into more trouble with the beast of the small forest. But they soon find a way out of the woods and into each other's heart…..._

He was kind. He was generous. He had even offered to gather the food that Rikku really wanted. She didn't understand why the man was become so…. So…. Nice? In fact, he even offered to do something that no one even cared to do for the girl at all!

"You ready?" Auron helped Rikku climb onto his back and then the man proceeded to walk with her hanging on him like a little monkey! Luckily, she was back up to 779HP, but Rikku was the one who became quite embarrassed, by that fact that she couldn't keep her strength up enough to hang on and not start slipping, and Auron was obligated to hold her up by placing his hands in a cupping form so the girl could have a seat. This is the worst! This guy's a total jerk and now he's feeling my ass up! She got even more uncomfortable when Auron shifted his left hand so it wouldn't get as badly numb.

"HEY!" Rikku's face was beet red and she could hardly keep from smiling as she was screaming at the man, who was basically ignoring her. "What do you think you're doing, you pervert? Trying to feel me up! You'd better stop it now, because I'm telling you, my old man will knock the shit out of you! HEY, AURON! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"

"…..Not really." He said quietly. He was possibly deaf now, after all that yelling in his ear, and he still didn't cringe as the girl continued her stupid rant.

"I swear, all you men are the same! You think that you can just woe a girl into wanting to sleep with ya, and when that doesn't work, you go and molest them! You'd try and gang bang me with that nasty Wakka and Tidus if you had the chance, wouldn't you!" Auron simply rolled his eyes at her and sighed as he did the night before; it was light, eased, no longer burdened with an anger or annoyance. It was strange to Rikku, and it actually made her stop talking for a second. Rikku's silence helped her to listen to Auron's breaths. They were deep and calm and his body under the coat was warm and the form was strong.

"….Something wrong with you?" Auron noticed the lapse in Rikku's ranting and decided to check and see if she was still conscious or not. He turned his head and saw that she was leaning against his back very hard, trying to listen to his lungs take in the air better. Auron stopped walking and held his breath. A few seconds later, Rikku freaked out.

"Auron! What's the matter with you! Quick, quick! Breathe, stupid, breathe!" She pounded weakly on the man's back. You'd think that her strength had waned by now, but it was just enough to cause Auron to gasp and cough until his lungs were filled and emptied again. He accidentally "dropped" the girl on the ground and she howled loudly. "Oow! That hurt…a lot."

" ….Sorry. It was an accident." he said uncaringly, but surprisingly, Rikku did say anything against it. Auron extended his hand and helped Rikku get to her feet,--er, sort of. The girl could only stand for a few moments, then she landed right into the older man's strong arms. She neither blinked nor looked up at him when this happened….because her face was redder than ever and she could wipe the stupid grin off of her face. "What's the matter?" Auron didn't really care just what was the matter with Rikku, but it was annoying, and he wanted her to quit….now. She wasn't smiling anymore, but was completely lost in emotion, staring into the man's dark eyes.

_…..Oh, crap! I don't think that I can take this…..I should really stop thinking about stuff like that…._

"You know, a real gentleman, unlike you, would've tried to at least get on one knee and kiss my hand! That's right! My lousy old, good-for nothing pop used to do that all the time for my mom, and I don't know anyone else who would do that! I guess all men are pigs after all!" To her great surprise, Auron dropped gracefully to one knee, without a groan or growl, and took each of the girl's hands and kissed the palms and backs of them. Then he had to hold her up against him again, because she was about to lose balance again.

_…..OH, CHRIST!_

Auron stood back to his feet and stared at the girl. He didn't understand why he did such a thing himself. It was strange, but he was satisfied that it finally shut the girl up!

Suddenly, Auron turned his head toward the forest. He released her and she dropped to the ground. Rikku was about to scream her head off again, but then she saw the sword taken from his side. He removed his free arm from the coat's shoulder and readied for a fight. "Rikku! Go, behind the brush!"

"But what about you!"

"JUST GO!" the man shouted and Rikku obeyed. A large group of adult Behemoths stomped out of the lush forest toward Auron. They stared down at the man and then rose its sword to strike. "HA! You're nothing but worms compared to me. Not even a challenge." The leader of the herd rushed forward and tried to slash Auron, but didn't even get the chance to roar. Auron's sword slashed through it's mouth and then continued to draw his sword through the rest of it's body as it fell to the ground after missing the man. It's entire upper half fell to Auron's right and the other half to his right.

The other Behemoths were enraged and some of them went and tried their hand to kill the guardian. As for the other few, they managed to find Rikku and went to the poor girl as quickly as possible. She managed to crawl from most of their stomping over closer to where Auron was fighting, but one of them smacked her left arm with it's spiked tail, causing a strong poison effect on her, taking up to115HP from her with every move. Worse, she was now under Confuse and was unable to make her way to Auron as well as she could without the spells.

"…Ah…Auron! Help!" She called out, not knowing what to do with herself and desperately trying to keep from losing her sanity then. Auron looked away from his last kill and saw that Rikku was being attacked. He found a sudden obligation and leapt over to killed one of the monsters that were looming over her.

"…..Cowards! Attacking an innocent woman while injured. You will get no mercy from me." He muttered low enough so Rikku couldn't hear him, but the girl was too busy trying to focus and find more bombs to combine. She managed to save up the bombs from the behemoth she had killed and combined them into a 3:8:2 ratio and looked to Auron-- or, at least she tried to, when she was staring at the grass underneath her.

"Auron! Please don't get caught! Watch….watch out!"

"What!" Auron looked back just as Rikku tried to throw the second Mustard Bomb in the air, but the item rolled on the ground and exploded. The behemoths were all sucked down into the earth for as far as the bomb had damaged, each roaring with either anger or despair. Auron didn't really have a grip on the situation, until he once again used his sword as a lever so he and Rikku wouldn't get sucked into the hole as well. But he noticed that she wasn't as well as she had been before.

She was completely red and stars were spinning around her little head, along with some chocobo chicklets. Then she lost another 38HP, throwing her down to only 12HP. Auron's eyes grew slightly wider before he casted Esuna on the both of them. He had gotten poisoned as well, but the damage wasn't as severe as hers. And, for some odd reason, Esuna did cure the Confuse placed on Rikku……

"Let's see….. Rikku wanted us to go this way, right?" Auron was trying to figure out which way to go, since Rikku was out of it. She could barely make sense when she wasn't confuse, but now it was like talking to a baby! She could just slightly understand what he was saying, but it wasn't enough for her ability to navigate was out of whack as well. So….

Auron was pretty much lost…. And then he came up with an idea-- Well, it was more of a calculated risk than an idea. He looked up at Rikku and growled. She was almost half-dead. Whatever the Behemoth she fought the other day did to her had nothing on what had just happened not long ago. "Rikku… Point out which way we shouldn't go!" Rikku rose her head and tried to concentrate. Everything was whirling around and she wasn't really able to get her bearings correct.

So, she took a wild guess, and pointed in the opposite direction she happened to point out earlier.

"Good, then we'll go this way!" Auron decided, and began walking west, the original direction. And this method was used many, many times as he travel with the girl on her back. Whenever he couldn't tell if he was going the right way or not, he would simply ask the girl and she would point one way, and he would travel the opposite.

And the method actually worked!

It wasn't long before he saw something he hadn't see in years--10 years in fact. It was the shortcut trail that he, Jecht, and Braska had come across together long ago, and it lead to the Calm Lands! Auron could have smiled at this…. But long-overdue excitement was ended by Rikku's loss of breath. In fact, she wasn't breathing at all! Auron looked around at the situation and tried to decide: Should he continue on his journey and hope that Rikku could make it, since it was only another's day walk, or should he stop and try and resuscitate the girl before she stopped breathing permanently? Either way, he was losing something he had to have, that he truly needed--

It was either the choice of time…or Rikku's life.

Auron dropped her to the ground carefully and then removed his coat. He raised her head up and opened her mouth, preparing to perform CPR…..if he knew how!

"…..SHIT!" He couldn't help but say. He'd seen people do this millions times in Zanarkind, but now, he couldn't recall how to do a damn thing! Then he remembered! He had to pushing her chest to help her breathe. He was afraid…. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to revive her, he was afraid that he would be blamed for the death of the Al Behd, of a young girl who was just trying save her relative that she loved so much…. He was afraid of….

…of losing her.

He pressed on her chest even harder, trying to get her lungs to work, and even began blowing air into her mouth in hopes that he would be able to save her. He continued to do this until Rikku began gagging and coughing, rolling to her side and grasping her right side tightly. Her eyes opened quickly and she looked up at the man while still rolled on her left side. "……Ow. That hurt…Auron." She spoke in a raspy voice and smiled at the man. He was knelt right in the view of the sun and all Rikku was see was his body's deep outline in the light…..

But he was smiling as well….

Rikku was resting near the campfire, as was Auron. He was sitting very close to the fire and watching Rikku sleep. And he was annoyed greatly by the girl. All she did was cause trouble to come around as if it was invited to a damn birthday party and got drunk and started fights and shit! (namely the Behemoth herd that attacked them) But then there was the other side to the story….

He could've let her die, and made it to the Calm Lands by himself, saying that he never even saw her that day when the fell off of the airship. But….he didn't want her to die. He didn't want to lose her….. And he knew that no one in there group would've cared, expect for maybe Tidus--Even Wakka perhaps. But other than that, only the Al Behd would've taken the time to visit her grave.

_I hate you….and I cant stand having you anywhere near me….. All you do is annoy the hell out of me, and I cant stand how you take things so lightly…. And the worst part is…_

_You're always in my mind…. _

_Ever since I met you, you've been nothing but a nuisance and always taking risks in order to get what you want…. And I've always taken you into consideration as something great…. Even though I can't fucking stand you…._

_You never take in the considerations of what you might do to others when youre not careful…. And yet, I cant stop thinking of you, no matter what I do….._

"Mhn!" Rikku sat up in a hurry and looked around. It was night, to her surprise, and then there was Auron…who was just staring….and staring….and staring… And that pretty much made the girl very uncomfortable. He usually had his back to someone or wasn't really staring at anything but the ground. But he was staring….at her. And that was really freaky!

"………."

"………"

"………"

"…… What are you staring at!" The girl screamed and Auron woke up from his half-daydream. He glared at Rikku and then turned to the fire.

"I was worried…." He spoke honestly to her, well, almost honestly. He was more worried about what was going on with himself and Rikku to simply be concerned with what's ailing her body. Rikku quirked an eyebrow, trying to imitate her brother.

"Worried? You never seem worried about anything!" Auron growled quietly, and Rikku wanted to jump.

"Just like you…." That was what made the girl angry.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Auron didn't bother looking over at her again, and sighed.

"All you ever do is cause trouble Rikku. Maybe we were better off not knowing a jinx. Ever since we became involved with the Al Behd….. And that father of yours. He seems just as crazy as you."

"That's cause he married my mom! She was the nuttiest chick you could ever meet!" Auron scoffed at such a comment.

"Make her second." Rikku tried to glare the same way Auron usually did, but she looked like she was pouting, and worse, it was cute. Auron just happened to catch the girl doing this and smirked wickedly. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you're going to try and be me. It would also help if you didn't dress like a little kid all the time."

"I do not dress like a little kid!" That was the start of another of Rikku's rants. "I happen to be the best dressed woman of Home! In fact, I'm also the smartest there is when it comes to Machina! Of course, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you jerk!" She continued on with the rant for a good fifteen minutes. While Auron was left to sit and listen to the entire thing, anger rising with every syllable. Finally, he was at his last straw and was ready to blow.

"RIKKU, SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO TO SLEEP!" Rikku's eyes were as huge as a blitz ball stadium's field lights and she dropped her head in silence. Auron sighed deeply and felt that he could now relax….. He listened to the fire's crackling and watched as the tiny lights of the ember flew high into the sky. A few minutes of silence later, he noticed that something was amiss. He looked over at Rikku. She was still staring down at her hands after Auron yelled at her, and the man was starting to feel a bit guilty for what he did. She didn't move or anything, and she wasn't in a daze or daydream like he usually was. "…..What is the matter with you? Say something!" Rikku looked up, confused.

"What?"

"Why aren't you saying anything? You're usually talking you're head off, so what's happened!" She blinked at him a few times and then replied,

"You told me to shut up." Auron had the face of annoyance plastered on and he felt like smacking himself in the damned face for expecting anything less from someone who takes things so literally.

"I am sorry. I am…a bit stressed from these past few days….."

"I can see from the grey hair!" Auron looked up at Rikku and she points to her own hair. "It looks like a few were added in! Hee, hee, hee…." he could hear a slightly shiver in her laugh. And so, Auron got up and knelt down next to her and removed his coat, and gently wrapped it around the girl. Rikku's face was red again. She couldn't help but stare up into the older man's deep eyes with her own two green swirls. Then, he moved back to his spot and rested there, staring at the fire once again. Without his coat on, Rikku could see the muscle and tight skin that made Auron strong and as tough as a brick…..much like his being stubborn. He also looked more human now, no longer shrouded by the coat's large collar. And it was apparent that those blue-lens glasses were actually necessary to his vision.

Auron was focusing on the embers that were flying freely from the flame, focusing on not paying attention to the young Al Behd who was staring at him now. But…. He lost his concentration after a few moments and had to break his silence.

"Is there a problem?"

"OH!" Rikku didn't even realize that she was watching the man when he spoke and blushed again. "I-I'm sorry! I've just never really got to see you without your coat off before…."

"Hmph! Hypocrite!" He couldn't help but joke, but the words came out harsh and uncaring, as if he were angered that she wouldn't stop admiring him, which wasn't true at all! He didn't mind her staring at him, as long as she didn't develop anything permanent, such as feelings for him. The poor girl was wide-eyed and trying to think of some way to explain herself, when Auron, who had had enough of toying with her, got up and snatched his coat from her. "I think you're warm enough." He said coldly and gave a growl to reveal that he was serious. "If you want to stay warm, then I suggest that you get closer to the fire. We leave in the morning for the Calm Lands. We're half-way there…."

And then, he went to sleep. Rikku didn't take much time to curl up near the fire and fall asleep herself.

The next day was most likely the final day of their traveling together. Auron was being impatient, as always, and Rikku was being annoying (to him, anyway) as always. The day was clear and they were on the safe path that Auron, Braska, and Jecht had taken ten years ago. He was actually trying to think back to those days. How he and his friends were always talking about their futures together and how they would all be crabby old men picking on young women. And then Braska would get angry at Jecht for calling Yuna a future hottie and Auron would have to keep the peace or else they would lose trace of time!

Times were good back then…..

And now, he was traveling with a fifteen year old Al Behd…. Who was doing nothing but asking him questions….

"Auron?" That was about the twenty-seventh time he heard his name spoken in an hour.

"What Rikku?" His voice was dull, and Rikku could help but giggle.

"Whoa! I'm really getting to you today, huh? Sorry, but I have to know a lot more. You've….inspired me!" Auron stopped and didn't bother to face the girl.

"And how have I inspired you Rikku?" He was actually curious about this. The girl was quick to answer and very delighted with her resolve.

"You shown me what I need to be in order to become Yunie's guardian. She needs someone to help push her and provide support whenever she needs me! Yep, I'm going to stay her guardian and protect her….and save her from the end!….I promise myself this." Auron glanced at Rikku from the corner of his eye and grinned briefly.

"That's good to hear….."

"And what about you!" Another question, and another headache. Rikku held her arms behind her back and stared up at the man, smiling. "I figured out what's going on with you!"

"……And what's that Rikku?"

Auron had actually been wondering that himself. Maybe it was from falling so far and hitting his head on the ground at sometime, or maybe it was those berries that Rikku had picked out--He was pretty sure that they'd made him hallucinate for a short time. But for those few days, his entire personality was changing. He wasn't as pained, as guilt-ridden, as much of a angered, volatile old man as he had been most of the ten years. He was actually enjoying himself as he was traveling with Rikku, something that he hadn't done for a long time. For some strange reason, Auron was feeling as if he were still alive--er, per say.

"You like somebody, don't you!" Auron stopped suddenly and eyes grew wide. Rikku stared laughing, finally finding that she was right about Auron. She could never pick out one thing about him that was ever right, and now she found something that was true about him. Rikku had suspected that Auron did have feelings for someone from a long time ago, but she could never figure it out. And now, it was very clear that the man was secretly in love with someone!

But who?…..

"Is it Yunie?"

"No."

"How about Lulu? She's pretty!"

"No…."

"How about….Shelinda! She's so cute!"

"No…." This was another attempt of Rikku's to try and figure out Auron, and it was failing miserably….and annoying the man. It was a persistence that he had no choice but to tolerate. After all, he was actually starting to feel a fondness towards the girl, an attachment that he hadn't felt in years. Not even Braska or Jecht could do. He could withstand her company better than anyone he'd ever dealt with, and it was unusual for him to be this way with anyone.

Could it be that….

"Wakka?"

"…No--Wait. Did you say Wakka?" She nodded happily, know that it would caught him off guard immediately to hear something stupid. "Why would you--"

"Or maybe you like Tidus?"

"Have you lost your mind?" Auron said in a calm voice. He was laughing on the inside as she jokingly kept naming everyone she knew.

"How about Kimari? He's a cutie!"

"I don't think so…."

"….Well, what about that one guy that looked like you? He was wearing red too, but he was younger, and had long, black hair and red eyes, and he was traveling with a blonde guy and this really loud man that smoked a lot." Auron didn't know who she was talking about at that point and just gave up on answering back. That's when Rikku said five simple words.

"Then maybe, you like me!" As she giggled at the suggestion, Auron gasped quietly, making sure that she didn't hear. But the man nearly tripped over his own feet and lost balance, which she noticed.

"N-Never say that again!" Rikku stared at Auron after his threatening words and then grinned evilly.

"I'm right, aren't I? You do like me don't you?" She teased and the man stopped quickly. Rikku just happened to stop, when he grasped her by the arm and pulled her close to his face, staring deeply into her eyes, and then….

Gave a gently, tender kiss on her lips. It only lasted for a short time, and then he released her and continued walking. Rikku was pretty much stunned for a few minutes, but when she was able to move again, she quickly ran to cut off Auron's path and stared into his eyes again, this time wanting something more, no longer blushing or wearing a goofy smile on her cute face.

"Kiss me again…." she tried to order him to do, but it sound more like a weak plea, but the plea was granted. Auron grabbed the girl by the waist, dropping his sword, and his guard at the same time, and allow himself to feel something he never thought could happen. He was quick to close his eyes and brace for the kiss, but he was slow to get to it, hesitating a little, but Rikku helped out in this and stood on her toes so she could reach up with her own mouth to press against his. His other arms slid around her waist while the first hand came to caress the back of her neck and head, pulling her closer to him and pressing their bodies together even more. Rikku's arms were around his neck and, to Auron's surprise, she knew exactly how to kiss a man.

After a while of doing this, he let go of her, staring the girl over with his dark eyes, then continued walking. "We need to hurry Rikku. Let's go."

"…I knew it! You do like me!" She shouted after the man, who growled fiercely, and she quickly followed after him.

a

To be continued…..

Embrace me my angel,

who's eyes enlightens my world.

Let me feel your golden hair,

so soft so beautiful.

Take my hand and follow me,

to the realms of silence.

Let the ligth of all lights devour us.

Spread out your wings,

and take me to this paradise.

Spread out your wings and let us fly...

_A/N:_

_Sorry. I really like that song, and thought it would be cute to add in the end, you know? It's Arcana: Angel of sorrow... ANyway, Chapter 4 will be coming up soon, so don't worry none!_


	4. The Ending

Chapter 4: Conclusion of The Trip

_Summary: This is the last chapter! I know….saddening, isn't it? Anyway, Auron and Rikku finally get to the Calm Lands, but while they wait for the others, Auron has to decide how to deal with his REALLY, REALLY big problem and how to tell Rikku about it….._

"Whoa! This place is huge!" Rikku exclaimed as she stared over the Calm Lands at last. She and Auron were waiting for the others near a ridge when Rikku was looking for a plant herb for the cut Auron got while fighting the Behemoth herd. She hadn't even see how badly the cut was, however, but the only reason she knew it was there was because the man's coat was stained and it rubbed off on her hair and arm.

And Auron was beginning to regret ever kissing the girl at all. And it wasn't because she was so young, or that he didn't like her, because he really did, he just didn't know it yet. But it was because he was dead, unsent by summoners and was left behind so that he could aid Yuna to in her travels to defeat Sin once and for all. It wasn't right, for him to do this to her.

It wasn't right for the dead to interact with the living, he thought.

He stared over at the girl, realizing how beautiful she was, how beautiful her soul was and how much he wanted her to be happy. He'd never wanted such a thing for anyone before, and now, to be with someone who made him feel so alive… And to leave her so quickly.

Rikku, on the other hand, wasn't very anxious to see everyone again. She knew that there was no way of ever gaining everyone's respect, but she found something more important to be happy about. She turned to Auron and smiled cheerfully. He was looking at her, of course, and she didn't mind it at all. The girl quickly strolled over and sat beside the man, leaning her head onto his shoulder and sighed happily, closing her eyes and trying to relive the kiss in her mind and wondering when the next time she would be able to experience it again.

"Rikku…" Auron said after a few minutes of silence and the girl looked up at him with her wide green eyes. Auron was trying not to look down at her, maybe because of guilt or that wonderful feeling in his stomach when he looked into her swirled eyes, but it wasn't because he hated the Al Behd anymore. "This isn't right."

"What?" She asked innocently, and the man sighed heavily. "We aren't doing anything, but if you wanna do something really bad, I might be up for it!" Her teasing was one of a kind, the man thought.

"No… _This_! We…shouldn't be together." Auron turned away and Rikku lifted her head from his shoulder and was confused.

"Hey, Auron…You don't have to worry about it. WE don't have to tell anyone about this. It can just be our little secret! Or is it my pop that's got you so worried! You don't have to care about that, cause if he does or says anything, then I'm gonna--"

"No….that's not it."

"Oh…Then….is it cause you're an old foggy, cause you're not that old. We're actually the same age that my mom and pop got together! Well, she was a bit older and my pop was a bit younger, but we're practically okay!"

"Rikku…Do you believe that sometimes the unsent…can stay unsent forever?"

Rikku didn't know what to make of the question, but she thought about it for some time. "Auron, I don't understand. What do you mean by that. Unsent usually become fiends, unless you're talking about the maesters. Man, were they creepy. I cant believe they were all unsent!"

"Rikku--"

"And Yunie! Is she married to Seymour? Really? Is she? That would be really sick, hooking up with a dead guy!"

"Rikku…" Auron was getting that familiar feeling to take Rikku's head off with his sword again, his hand was tightening around the hilt.

"But…then again, I'm glad that they aren't like you. Maybe you weren't dead long enough to go crazy like they did."

"Rikku, Seymour has only been dead for a short time and-- Wait, what did you say!" He turned his head at her in shock, his glasses fell off of his face and into her lap. Rikku carefully picked up the glasses and placed them onto his face, then poked his nose a couple times, giggling.

"Silly, you're going to lose your glasses that way if you're not careful." Auron must've been imagining things, because he was sure that Rikku said something to the effect of Auron being unsent! The girl smiled up at the man, then laid her head back down on his shoulder.

It was another few minutes of silence before Auron could gather his wits again, and looked down at Rikku. She was in her own little world again, possibly thinking of him and that kiss. Finally, he asked.

"Rikku, what was it that you said before?" She removed her head from his shoulder again and looked into his eyes.

"You're going to lose your glasses?"

"No…"

"How silly you are?"

"You didn't even mention--"

"How delicious your tongue is when you do that swirly thing?"

"……………………" There was nothing he could say about that. Rikku laughed at Auron, happy to know that he could be so easily embarrassed like that. She never knew saying something so complimentary could cause the man to turn such a bright red. It was absolutely adorable. It took his another few minutes to gather his wits again. "Rikku, I was talking about what you said about the Maesters."

"The Maesters? Yeah, they're crazy!"

"And then you said something about me?"

"You mean you being unsent, yeah!"

"How…do you know that I am unsent?"

Rikku was still staring at him, with that big, goofy smile on her face. She giggled again and then took her hand into the man's glove.

"Do you really think that I wouldn't know?"

"But…how?"

"Auron, the Farplane. You were scare to go into the Farplane. Everyone else but me were going in, and then I found out you weren't going either. I kinda thought that it was funny, and watched you. You looked really sick while we were waiting, and I concerned about you."

"……That really doesn't mean a thing."

"Yep, but pyroflies do! They always gather around those who were sent, creating illusions of the person who was sent for those to see them! And, the Guado did say that they have a strong sense for the Farplane." Rikku's smile only made the man cringe inside.

"Still, that doesn't say anything about me being unsent."

"Auron…. My mom died a long time ago, but she…. She was unsent for awhile. We had to wait a few days…in order to find a summoner who would even consider sending my mom. We found out that…. You don't automatically become a fiend. Those who become fiends…. They're usually lost souls, their hearts taken over by some kind of darkness. Only those who never lived for good, and always find their way to the darkness….are overcome and become fiends. The followers of Yevon, The Maesters…. They made up all of this foolishness…. Just so they could scare the fools of this world into believing that no one is safe unless they follow Yevon."

"…..The Al Behd know many things about Yevon, it seems." Auron stared down at Rikku, a small smile hidden under that large coat's collar. Rikku blew a raspberry at the man, then giggled.

"Helps if you believe in other things. You don't need some stupid old men who believe in one thing to tell you how to live your life, you know? There are a lot of inconsistencies in Yevon. But a lot of people don't care. I guess some people just need something to believe in."

Rikku stared out into the Calm Lands and sighed. Auron looked out as well, thinking. "When did you start using big words?" He asked jokingly, and Rikku pouted, scowling up at him with that face.

"Hey! I've always known big words! You guys never want to listen to me!…." Auron looked back down at her with a laugh.

"But _I_ am listening now, aren't I?" Rikku thought.

"…Yeah?"

"Then there is no need to be concerned with what anyone else says or does to you?"

"…Yeah! I guess not, huh? As long as I have you, I have nothing to worry about!" Auron's hidden smile was gone and he sighed.

"Rikku….we cannot be together. That is that."

"Aw…but why?"

"Isn't it explained enough? I am unsent, and you are alive."

"Auron! Why can't you look on the bright side of things? Look, if we can finish up the pilgrimage and keep Yunie from dying, then maybe we can stay together?"

"Rikku…."

"And if we're really good to each other….we can be sent together someday?"

"……" He could say anything. The girl's words had touched him a way he hadn't imagined. She was actually considering having a life with the dead, a ghost. How could such a young girl expect a man of his sorts to be so earnest about staying with her, even after death? Was she in love or something, or maybe she'd drank something that was making her delusional again.

"Auron?" She called after a long silence. Auron's eyes went back to hers and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Let's wait for this to be over, and then we will see about the future…. Our future." Rikku smiled at him and leaned against him. And he knew that it was wrong to play on the heart of such a young and innocent girl, but it was the only thing to get her to shut her up. And she really would be a good companion for him, now that he'd gotten to know her, but it wasn't his plan to find a mate, not now. Somehow, he needed to find a way to get Yuna to send him. That was his ultimate goal after all. He wanted that peace, that eternal rest. And in order to obtain it, he would need Yuna's inadvertent help in it all.

And it would be sad to see….that face on Rikku when that time comes, but it must. It was a way of life, after all…. He really didn't want to leave, but explaining it to Rikku was impossible, in his mind anyway.

It wasn't long before he could hear the distant chatter of their estranged companions become louder. The man stood up, bringing Rikku with him, and gave her a short-lived kiss and allowing her to see his feigned smile. Rikku smiled back and the two waited for their "friends," Rikku looking excited as she sat on a large rock with Auron's back turned to everyone but himself. Tidus and Yuna were the first to come over and look at the two, then each other before confronting them.

"Where were you two? We were looking all over for you, you know?" Tidus said, worry displayed on his face. Auron huffed and thought, not even caring for a reply.

"We fell off the airship cause of my stupid pops!" Rikku said, causing everyone to stare at her for a moment, then turn back to Auron. She smiled, not worried anymore about what they were saying at all. She turned to the sky and sighed, then Kimahri walked over to her.

"Rikku well?" He asked. She looked down at him and nodded.

"Yep! I'm just fine now. Thanks Kimahri!"

"Rikku not be sad anymore…. There is no need for that now."

"Huh?"

"Everyone was worried about Rikku. Afraid that Auron might kill Rikku." Rikku laughed and shook her head, then Kimahri walked back to the group. Nobody else went to talk to Rikku, but instead discussed what their next move should be. Rikku didn't mind it anymore. She was going to have her cousin saved, and even have a happy ending that every girl could ever dream of, and if he pissed her off, she could just tell Yuna that Auron was trying to join Yevon! (That's just enough to get the girl started…)

After a few minutes, everyone was ready to go, not worried if the Guado were truly behind them or not. But just before leaving, Auron, who was always leading the group on the old trails, waved for Rikku to join him.

The girl was happy to join.

The End


End file.
